Record puncturing machine



Sept. 13, 1938.

R. E. PARIS RECORD PUNGTURING MACHINE Original Filed July 24, 1929 HI II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II H II H II II II 5 Sheets-Sheet l 13, 1938. E. PARIS 2,129,782

RE?) 0RD PUNCTURING MACHINE Original Filed July 24, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. E. PARIS Sept. 13, 1938.

RECORD PUNCTURING MACHINE Original Filed July 24, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 O Q 6 O 7 co m (June/whom Sept. 13, 1938. R. E. PARIS RECORD PUNCTURING MACHINE Original Filed July 24, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 3nnentor Sept. 13, 1938.

R. E. PARIS RECORD PUNCTURING MACHINE Original Filed July 24, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 W. Zhwentor Patented Sept. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE RECORD PUNCTURING MACHINE Original application July 24, 1929, Serial No.

380,687. Patent No. this application June 10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in methods and means for making and utilizing records and has particular reference to the puncturing means. This is a division of my applica- 5 tion Ser. No. 380,687, filed July 24, 1929, now Patent 1,916,232, granted July 4, 1933.

An object is to produce novel means for producing such a card or other record.

Other objects will appear from the following description and the appended claims. An illustrative example of a mechanism for carrying the invention into effect is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a record making machine, parts being broken away for clearness.

Fig. 2 is a vertical front to rear section of the same.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the essential features of the same.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a tabulator provided with elements of the invention.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail section on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a detail section on line 1-4 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a wiring diagram for the tabulator.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in all views.

Although it is conceded that the smaller the hole used in a record, the stronger and more compact the record may be, it has been found impractical in both electrical and mechanical machines, due to limits of interpreting means, to use records having holes smaller than those generally adopted. In the present instance there has been devised a means of utilizing records having minute holes or perforations which is free from the limitations of methods heretofore used.

This type of record and means for interpreting the same is adapted for use in control of a wide range of automatic and semi-automatic machines such as Jacquard looms, accounting machines, etc. I have chosen by way of example to illustrate the invention as used for controlling an accounting machine, though this is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the invention in any Way.

Machine accounting has been effected for years by first producing a record card or the like having perforations punched therein, such perforations being of sufficient size to permit the pas- 55 sage of a pin or an electric brush therethrough,

1,916,232. Divided and 28, 1933, Serial No. 679,341

whereby sorting and tabulating has been effected. There has also been suggested a means for producing imperforate records by depositing electric conducting material in spots on the surface of the record material and then using a pair of contacts for translating purposes. The present invention differs from both of these methods of producing the record by making minute punctures or perforations through a record sheet to indicate the data, and then passing an electric discharge through these punctures for effecting translation and utilization of the records. The minute punctures may be made in various ways as by an electric discharge or a needle prick.

In the drawings, I have shown my invention 1 in a machine having many characteristics of what is known on the market as the Powers punch and Powers tabulator. This is, however, merely by way of illustration, and not essential, as the principles involved are susceptible of embodiment in many and various forms all coming within the scope of the invention. Many of the features utilized are also shown in my pending application Ser. No. 324,427 filed December 7, 1928 and in my German Patent No. 524,293, to which reference may be had.

The record making machine Referring to the drawings in detail, the rec ords are produced in a machine having the general characteristics of the machine shown in the patent to W. W. Lasker, 1,305,557. In such a machine there is already known to be card or record feeding and ejecting means, and a transversely movable carriage, which travels from column to column of the card. Escapement mechanism, back-spacing mechanism, carriage return mechanism are already well known in such devices. These well known elements will not be described in detail, but the general positions of such elements as are directly involved herein will be indicated. Thus the record card It] is fed by rollers ll into a station 12 from which it is later ejected by friction rolls l3 and ejector rolls M. The carriage is indicated generally at I5. One of the number recording keys is shown at It, and the operating key at H. While in the Powers machine on the market operation of the operating key effects (1) punching of the card, (2) carriage return, (3) ejecting of the punched card and feeding of a new card to station 12; in the present instance the operating key effects only the last two and does not effect the puncturing, this being done upon depression of the number keys as will be hereinafter set forth.

if i) In the Powers machine now on the market the record is fed between a pair of perforated plates, through the perforations of which punches are adapted to be thrust to punch apertures in the record. In the present instance, however, there are two imperforate plates spaced apart and indicated generally as If) and I9. Each plate is made of Bakelite or similar insulating material into which is molded or otherwise permanently fixed a plurality of strips of conducting material. The strips 20 of the plate l8 are arranged to extend cross-wise of the card from top to bottom thereof,-that is, each strip 20 extends along a respective data column of the card, there being as many strips 20 as there are data columns on the card. Each strip 20 has its lower edge formed with a plurality of discharge points 2|, of which twelve are shown as this is the usual number of data positions to a column on records as at present used in the Powers machine. The several strips 20 and their points 2| are insulated from each other by the general insulating substance of plate |8,it being understood, however, that points 2| are flush with the lower surface of plate l8.

In like manner plate l9 has molded in it a plurality of strips 22 running cross-wise of the card from side to side and each formed with a plurality of discharge points 23, one point 23 for each strip 20 and in registry with the respective point 2| thereof. Each of the points 23 is flush with the upper surface of the plate l9.

Each of the strips 22 is tive lead 24 to a switch arranged at the number key IS with which it is specifically associated. The operation of the key mechanism will be hereinafter described.

Each of the strips 20 is connected by a lead 25 to a connection box the construction and purpose of which will now be set forth.

The connection bOsa-In my pending application Ser. No. 324,427, which is the same as my said German patent, I have shown a connection box, such as I propose using in the present instance. This box consists essentially of a frame 26 having a plurality of vertically disposed V-shaped strips 21 of conducting material suitably insulated, and a plurality of horizontally disposed rods 28 upon each of the latter of which is mounted a slidable connector 29 adapted to be moved to connect its respective rod 28 with any desired one of the strips 21. In the present instance each of the leads 25 is connected to a respective one of the rods 28 and each of the strips 21 is connected by a lead 30 to a respective one of a plurality of electrically conductive bars 3|. The bars 3| are preferably molded in a plate of Bakelite or other insulating material. The bars 3| must be insulated from each other and may be supported in any desired manner from the framework of the machine and below the carriage. It will now be understood that by means of the connection box any desired one of the bars 3| may be connected in circuit with one or more of the strips 20.

The carriage.-The carriage I 5 is provided with a downwardly extending arm 32 which carries a spring contactor 33 arranged to traverse the bars 3|, there being one bar 3| for each position of the carriage. As the carriage moves from one position to another, the contactor 33 rides from one bar 3| to another. The arm is connected by a lead 34 to one end of the secondary winding 35 of a spark coil 36. The other end of Winding 35 is connected by a lead connected by a respec- 31 to a contact plate 38 at the recording keys, which may be common to contactors 39 of the several key switches, contactors 39 being connected respectively to respective leads 24. If the arrangement of the keyboard is not such as to permit 38 to be common, a plurality of contacts may be used and all be connected to the lead 3! in any suitable manner.

The keyboard.'lhere is provided a plurality of recording keys l6 having stems 4| which are guided in suitable supporting structures as at 42 and 43, the stems operating Bowden wires 44 to eifect escapement or step-by-step travel of the carriage |5 in a manner well known in the art. Each stem 4| is provided with a collar 45 of insulating material which, upon depression of the respective key is adapted to close two switches. There is one key for each side-to-side row of the card, or, in other words, for each strip 22. One of the switches at each key comprises the contactor 39 and contact 38 above described while the other comprises a contactor 46 and a contact 47. The several contactors 45 are connected by a lead 48 to one side of a source of electric supply 49 while the several contacts 41 are connected by a lead 50 to one end of the primary Winding 5| of the coil 36. The other end of winding 5| is connected by lead 52 to the other side of the source of supply 49.

When a key is depressed it first causes collar 45 to close switch 46-41 and thereafter switch 38-49 whereby current is first turned through the primary circuit including 5|, thereby, as switch 46-41 operates, inducing a high tension current through the secondary and directed to the strips l8 and I9 which are in circuit respectively with carriage arm 32 and operated contactor 39. The strips l8 and IS in this circuit have a discharge point of each disposed opposite that of the other, and a spark is caused to jump from one to the other thereby puncturing the record card at the desired point. This puncture will be minute, but experiment has shown it to be suiiicient for reading or sensing purposes by a machine constructed in a manner which will be presently described.

It will now be seen that the position of the carriage determines which of the bars 3| shall eiTect control, the connection box determines which of the strips 20 shall be controlled by the several bars 3|, and the keys l6 determine which of the strips 22 shall coact with strips 20, whereby the exact location of the data puncture or punctures is determined.

Sensing or data utilizing machine Turning now to the machine for sensing or utilizing the record cards, in machine accounting two such machines are usually employed,-- via, a sorter and a tabulator. Inasmuch as sensing means may be utilized for one of these machines and similar sensing means utilized in the other, I have shown the sensing means as applied to a tabulator only. It will, of course, be understood that the same principle and similar sensing means could be built for translating the record on the cards for use in other machines of automatic or semi-automatic nature such as Jacquard looms.

Known tabulator mechanism.-In this connection, attention is first invited to the showing of certain mechanism taken from my application Ser. No. 324,427, which is the same as my German Patent No. 524,293, above referred to. Referring to Fig. 4 of the present specification, 53

. 55, so as to bring the represents the usual stops of a Powers tabulator, which stops are selected and raised by denominational fingers 54. Each finger 54 is carried by a respective slide 55, the several slides being spring pressed toward the right, and being controlled in such movement and returned to normal ineffective leit-hand position by a reciprocating universal bar The slides 55 may be intercepted at various points in their travel by stops 5? being raised into engagement with teeth 58 on the slides 55, elements 57. and 58 cooperating to stop the respective slides with their fingers 54 under the particular stops 53 determined by the data recorded on the record being sensed.

The stops El, of which there is one for each slide 55, are carried by respective armatures iiI of magnets {52 operable from the record card in a manner to be hereinafter described. The universal bar 56 is operable by a rock arm or arms Ii? connected by a link or links 64 to operating means such as a cam 59 driven from the main operating mechanism of the machine.

When all of the stop-operating fingers 54 have been moved to positions determined by the record, they are all lifted by a universal frame 65 rocked by an arm 66 cooperating with a cam 51 driven from the main operating mechanism of the machine. As fingers 5d are lifted, they raise the desired tabulator stops 53 to control the registering and recording mechanism of the tabulator head in a well known manner.

V Operating the magnets.The magnets 62 are energized by means differing from the prior art and from my prior application, and such means will now be described.

In the Powers tabulator as at present on the market, the cards are fed intermittently to a sensing position, then sensed, and then ejected. In the present case, the card is fed through the machine in a single continuous movement and sensed in transit. The card feed rollers and picker knife of the known mechanism are therefore driven in timed relation to the movement of the above described universal bar 56 and slides proper teeth 58 into cooperative relation with stops 5'! at the instant that the corresponding digital row of the card is in sensing position.

The card passage is indicated at 68 and is formed by two plates 69 and it which are preferably of Bakelite or similar insulating material and which hold a plurality of conducting strips ii and I2 insulated from each other by the substance of the plates. The strips ii are arranged in the vertical planes of respective strips l2, and are provided with discharge points I3 directly over similar points M on strips 12. The points 73 and M are substantially at the middle of their strips.

The plates 69 and iii are cut away at the points and l. to permit the passage of insulating disks between the points. These disks contact the record and are rotated by the operating mechanism, the several disks being secured to two shafts and taking the place of one pair of feed rollers of the Powers machine. They space the elements 73 and I4 and prevent any possible cross-jump of the electrical discharge.

Each of the strips I2 is connected by a lead iii to a respective secondary winding TI of a coil it, the other end of each winding 'I'I being connected by a lead 19 to one side of a high resistance relay es. The other side of each relay 8% is connected by a lead 8i to a respective one of the elements 82 of a connection box similar .being connected to return by a lead H4.

to that of my aforesaid application. Each of the strips H is connected by a lead 83 to a respective element 84 of the connection box. Slidable connectors are shown at 85.

It will now be understood that if a puncture of the record is brought between a pair of points 13 and i i an electrical discharge may pass through such"puncture and according to the set-up of 16 connection box will operate one or another of the high resistance relays 80.

A source of electric supply is shown at 86 and has itspositive line 81 connected by leads 88 to one side of each of the magnets 62. The negative line 38 is connected by leads 95 to the armatures SI of relays 80. Each armature is provided at its free end with a contactor adapted to engage contacts 92 and 93 when the relay is energized. Contact 92 is connected by a lead 94 to arespective magnet 62, so that when a relay 80 is energized its armature closes the circuit through the correspondingmagnet 62, and the latter instantly raises its stop 51.

Self circuit for relay-The contact 93 is connected to one side of the relay 80 by a lead 95, while a lead 95 connects the other side of the relay to the respective positive lead 88. Consequently, when the relay is energized a circuit is closed from 88 thru 96, the relay, lead 95, contact 93, armature 9| and lead 90 holding the relay operative even after the card has passed controlling position. In order that this circuit may be broken toward the end of the cycle, I provide switch 98 in the line 89 which is opened by universal bar 56 at each operation thereby releasing any armatures 9| which may have been moved to circuit closing position.

Spark coil connections- 1me primary winding 99 of spark coil 18 is connected at one end by a lead I80 to the positive line 81, and has its other end connected by a lead Ilil to the armature I02 of a magnet I03. When the magnet I03 is deenergized its armature I02 brings a contactor I94 into engagement with a vibrator I05. The vibrator Hi5 is formed with a lug I06 which rides on the periphery of a disk I01 insulated from the rest of the machine and driven from the main operating mechanism of the machine. Member I65 is also formed with a finger I08 cooperatively related to a contact I09 connected by a lead III! to the negative line 89. The disk Iil'l is formed with a plurality of lugs or teeth III adapted to contact lug IllB and vibrate member I05 so as to break the contact at |Il8-I09, thereby effecting interruption of the circuit through primary This is necessary to efiect electrical discharges.

Rendering spaflc coil inefiectioe It is desirable to throw the coil 18 out of action when no car-d is being fed between points I3 and M, and for this purpose I provide two more strips I2 (indicated at 12A), than there are strips TI, and located at opposite ends of the plate 10. Cooperating with these extra strips 12A are spring contactors II2 which contact the extra strips 72A when no record is between plates 69 and Hi. When a record is fed between the plates the contactors H2 are raised to ineffective position by the edges of the record. One of the contactors H2 is connected by a lead H3 to one side of the magnet I03, the other side of the magnet The corresponding extra strip 12A is connected by a lead H5 to the positive line 81. Whenever no record is in cooperative relation to points 13 and 14 the contactors I I 2 are down and the circuit is closed through magnet I03 which raises its armature thereby breaking the circuit through the interrupter and rendering the coil ineffective. Two contactors H2 are used so as to prevent twisting or jamming of the record, although only one is effective as to magnet I03.

It will of course be understood that the power of the coils in the record making machine and the tabulator are different so that in the former the discharge may cause puncturing of the record, while in the latter such may not take place, but discharge may only occur when a puncture is in registry with discharge points.

It will also be understood that the record utilized has insulating qualities which will offer resistance to the passage of a discharge of sufficient power to operate the relay 80.

It will now be seen that I propose an entirely new system of producing and utilizing records differing radically from any suggestions of the prior art as to systems of producing and utilizing records. Also that I have produced a new and desirable form of record as well as means for utilizing the same.

I claim:

1. A machine for puncturing statistical records having index point positions arranged in columns and rows, comprising a record station, a plurality of electrically connected points one for each index position of the record and all on one side of said station, cooperative means on the other side of said station, and means for effecting an electrical discharge between any selected point and the first said means for effecting puncturing of a record to indicate digital values.

A machine for making statistical records comprising a record station, a plurality of electrically connected points on one side of said station, a carriage operable to render said points effective and ineffective, a plurality of electrically connected points on the other side of said station, means for rendering the last said points effective and ineffective, and electric supply means adapted to be connected to said points under control of said carriage and said means.

3. A machine for making statistical records comprising a record station, a plurality of electrically connected points on one side of said station, a carriage operable to render said points effective and ineffective, a plurality of electrically connected points on the other side of said station, means for rendering the last said points effective and ineffective, settable means for varying the control of the first said means by said carriage, and electric supply means adapted to be connected to said points and under control of said carriage and said means.

4. In a machine for puncturing record cards by electric discharge, the combination of a set of discharge points, a second set of discharge points arranged respectively opposite the first said points, a spark coil, means for connecting the points of the first said set with the secondary winding of said coil, and means for connecting the points of the second said set with the secondary winding of said coil for puncturing record cards to represent digital values.

5. The combination of a set of discharge points, a second set of discharge points arranged respec tively opposite the first said points, a spark coil, means including a carriage for connecting the points of the first said set with the secondary winding of said coil, means including a plurality of keys for connecting the points of the second said set with the secondary winding of said coil, and a connection box for varying the effect of the first said means with relation to the points of the first said set.

6. The combination of two sets of discharge points, the points of one set being spaced apart from and arranged opposite respective points of the other set, a spark coil, automatic means for connecting the points of one set to the secondary of said coil and manipulative means for connecting the points of the other set to the secondary of said coil.

7. A record making machine including devices for affecting a record at different predetermined points to indicate data, a control for said means, and means for varying the relationship between said control and the said devices for varying the sequence in which said devices may be controlled by said control.

8. The combination. of two sets of discharge points, the points of one set being spaced apart from and arranged opposite respective points of the other set, a spark coil, automatic means for connecting the points of one set to the secondary of said coil, manipulative means for connecting the points of the other set to the secondary of said coil, and settable means for varying the connecting effect of one of the connecting means.

9. The combination of a movable carriage, a contactor carried thereby, a plurality of contacts supported in position to be engaged by said contactor seriatim, a plurality of discharge points, means for connecting said contacts and respective ones of said discharge points, a second plurality of discharge points, means for closing a circuit between said contactor and selected ones of said second plurality of discharge points, and means for inducing a. current so as to effect discharges between selected ones of said points.

10. A machine for perforating record cards including a carriage for determining the columnar position at which perforations are to be made, keys for determining the digital position at which perforations are to be made, and means under control of said carriage and keys for perforating a record with such small data perforations or punctures as to leave the card substantially unweakened.

ROBERT E. PARIS. 

